Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1480.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, this one, of course, deals with trying to address behavioral mental health amongst public safety officers, and that is obviously a very important part of this package. Madam Speaker, I would urge unanimous support for the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2862, the Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act. Suicide, Madam Speaker, continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Last year alone, we lost more than 44,000 people to suicide deaths, placing a heavy toll on the families and friends of victims, as well as on our communities. To help prevent suicides, we have created a lifeline that people can call when they are in crisis to get the help they need. This suicide prevention hotline has been available since 2004 through funding we have provided to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the call-in line has taken millions of calls since its inception. Unfortunately, the call-in line was started as a 10-digit number that is hard to remember, and this could potentially be preventing essential access to support for those in crisis. In 2018, the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act was passed with the goal of launching a new 3- digit number similar to 911 that is easy to remember during a time of crisis. The Federal Communications Commission is now finalizing the process to launch this new 3-digit call-in line, 988, next year. Now we need to ensure people are aware of the new 3-digit number through a marketing of 988. H.R. 2862 provides this essential next step in communicating the new lifeline number to the public, and will also evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing to better understand how best to reach communities in need. Madam Speaker, suicide deaths are a preventible tragedy, and this call-in line has the potential to help people in crisis and to save lives, but we need to educate people about this important resource. Madam Speaker, I want to commend the lead sponsors of this legislation, Representatives Beyer and Kinzinger, and their staff, for their tireless work on this bill. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, as my colleague from Kentucky explained, this is a very important piece of legislation to make people aware of this 988 number to prevent suicide. Madam Speaker, I would urge my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2981.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2981, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act. We have spoken a lot about suicide prevention today and recognize that this is an issue we have to address to save the lives of Americans who are in the prime of their life. And we have tens of thousands of people dying every year from suicide, and millions of people struggling with mental health issues, many of which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the Federal Government provides dedicated funding for a lifeline that people can call when they are in crisis, and we have recently made major investments in improving this lifeline by changing it to a 3-digit number, 988. That change is in the works now, Madam Speaker. This bill will increase support for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to ensure that those who make the call are able to get high quality crisis service. The lifeline's network has now over 170 local call centers that answer millions of calls every year. However, we need to provide additional funding so this lifeline can respond to increasing demands. The legislation will also enhance coordination of services as well as data sharing while extending the capacity for local communities to provide services. This bill, Madam Speaker, will ensure that the lifeline has the sufficient level of resources needed to provide high quality services for people who are reaching out for help. Again, I want to commend the lead sponsors of this bill, Representatives Katko, Beyer, and Napolitano, and their staff for their tireless work on this bill. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2981, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. In closing, Madam Speaker, this, again, is a bill to try to improve the lifeline and the use of the new 988 number. I urge its support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2955, the Suicide Prevention Act. This is among several bills being considered today that is specifically aimed at suicide prevention. The reason for these legislative efforts is that suicide is a devastating and preventable tragedy that strikes far too many Americans; and there is legitimate reason for us to be concerned that this preventable cause of death may become worse as we fully uncover the impact of the pandemic on American lives. We know that more people than ever are suffering from mental health issues, and suicide is unfortunately a devastating consequence of untreated mental illness. So we have to act now to better understand the risk factors for suicide and self-harm, train providers on how to better manage patients, and improve our ability to detect suicide deaths and self- harm in our communities. This bill does each of these things. The Suicide Prevention Act, introduced by Representatives Stewart and Matsui, will enhance collection and sharing of important data while also providing funding for programs that train and equip emergency department personnel in how to prevent suicide. The bill also enables surveillance of self-harm to inform better health strategies aimed at prevention, Madam Speaker. It also supports emergency departments to better screen and treat high-risk patients, and it also calls for development and deployment of best practices in suicide prevention for all healthcare providers. So, in closing, we know that suicide is one of the leading causes of preventible death in the United States--particularly for young people-- and we have to act. I commend the work of the sponsors of this bill, Representatives Stewart and Matsui, in creating this important bill. I look forward to passing the bill today, and I hope that the Senate will act on it swiftly. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. In closing, Madam Speaker, again, this bill is part of our strategy in prevention. I urge my colleagues to support it on a bipartisan basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 768.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 768, the Block, Report, And Suspend Suspicious Shipments Act of 2021. Since 1999, more than 841,000 Americans have died from a drug overdose. In the early years of this epidemic, many of these deaths involved prescription opioids. Then in 2010 we began seeing dramatic increases from heroin-involved deaths, and now we are seeing a third wave, Madam Speaker, involving synthetic opioids like illicitly manufactured fentanyl. In those earlier years, Americans across the country became addicted to opioids. Many of those opioids were prescribed to patients to treat pain. However, throughout the years, we have discovered that many of these opioids were diverted through a system meant to prevent diversion. The Drug Enforcement Administration requires entities that manufacture or distribute controlled substances to register and report their activities through ARCOS, a system meant to track the manufacture, distribution, and dispensing of these substances. In this system, registrants are also expected to disclose suspicious orders of controlled substances such as orders of unusual size, orders deviating from a normal pattern, or orders of an unusual frequency. H.R. 768 will improve reporting and action on suspicious orders by clarifying the responsibilities of drug manufacturers and distributors when discovering a suspicious order. The legislation also requires that this discovery be reported to DEA, which will help all entities to better identify suspicious activity and root out bad actors. This is a commonsense bill that will make clear the responsibilities for all entities in our supply chain, and hopefully help to deter opioid diversion and trafficking. I commend the lead sponsors of this legislation, Representatives Dingell and McKinley, and their staff, for their work on this bill. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, May 5, 2021. Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr., Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Pallone: This is to advise you that the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to review the provisions in H.R. 768, the ``Block, Report, And Suspend Suspicious Shipments Act of 2021,'' that fall within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting with us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee has no objection to your including them in the bill for consideration on the House floor, and to expedite that consideration is willing to forgo action on H.R. 768, with the understanding that we do not thereby waive any future jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject matters. In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the right to request an appropriate number of conferees to address any concerns with these or similar provisions that may arise in conference. Please place this letter into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our committees. Sincerely, Jerrold Nadler, Chairman.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell), who is the author of this bill and oftentimes presents to the House commonsense action plans on important issues.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I appreciate my colleague from Kentucky referencing the investigation that was done that led to this bill and other legislation. Many times, I think the public doesn't realize that our committees do a lot of investigative work that leads to important legislation. This is certainly an example. Again, I thank Mrs. Dingell, in particular, because this is something that I think will help us with the supply chain and, hopefully, deter opioid diversion and trafficking. Madam Speaker, I urge bipartisan support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean), the author of this legislation, which is important because whenever we can encourage generics and make drugs more affordable, it is certainly to the benefit of the American people.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Guthrie for his remarks about trying to work together to lower the cost of prescription drugs. I thank Congresswoman Dean because this is a part of that effort. As you will note, today, we had a whole package dealing with mental health, behavioral health, and other drug activities. It is very important that we move this whole package and try to get it passed in the Senate as quickly as possible. Madam Speaker, I urge support for this legislation on a bipartisan basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2630) to amend the Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act to extend until September 2021, a temporary order for fentanyl-related substances, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2630.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise to seek support for the Extending Temporary Emergency Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues Act. As we continue to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, we are also facing a tragic, growing trend of overdose deaths across this country. We have lost nearly 1 million Americans since the beginning of the Nation's drug epidemic. These Americans are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, neighbors, coworkers, and members of our communities. Now, data tells us that the COVID-19 pandemic, increased isolation, and related economic hardships over the past year may be hampering efforts to turn the tide. Last week, Madam Speaker, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its most recent data finding that, from August 2019 to August 2020, there were 88,000 overdose deaths reported. That is the highest ever recorded in a 12-month period. This most recent data represents a worsening crisis driven primarily by synthetic opioids, such as illicitly manufactured fentanyl. This drug is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Although fentanyl itself is often used for medical purposes, use of illicitly manufactured fentanyl has increased in recent years, including co-use with cocaine and methamphetamines. As little as 2 milligrams can cause a lethal overdose. Congress has recognized this unprecedented threat and acted in strong bipartisan fashion to combat it with resources to communities around the country. We passed major pieces of legislation like the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, the 21st Century Cures Act, and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. At the end of last year, in the final omnibus bill, we included over $4 billion to increase mental health and substance use services and support. Recognizing the worsening trends early this year, we passed the American Rescue Plan last month that provided an additional $4 billion in resources. This critical funding will be used to enhance mental health and substance use disorder services supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Indian Health Service. Madam Speaker, while this critical assistance is on the way, unfortunately, due to the disturbing rates of overdose and substance use, more work is clearly needed. The Biden administration is asking Congress to extend a temporary tool we provided last Congress so that agency experts can come together to examine the facts and come up with an effective, long-term solution. That tool is the authority to temporarily classify fentanyl-related substances as schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act. Ensuring fentanyl-related substances remain scheduled will maintain an important deterrent to traffickers, manufacturers, and those distributing this substance. During an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing last week, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's Acting Director Regina LaBelle testified on the importance of this extension. Acting Director LaBelle highlighted ongoing discussions with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. She testified that an extension of this temporary authority would allow executive branch agencies time to convene and present a long-term solution to this ever-changing drug environment that balances the risk of illicit fentanyl with the need to ensure appropriate enforcement. The Biden administration is taking this drug epidemic seriously and has delivered a thoughtful, thorough set of drug policy priorities. I ask my colleagues to join me in giving these agency experts time to produce a thoughtful, thorough solution to this scourge of overdose deaths. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Pappas), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas.